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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Benjamin Olson" data-source="post: 8160046" data-attributes="member: 6988941">If it is an in universe map it is worth thinking about the motives and interests of whoever created the thing and what they would emphasize and then emphasize those things. It's not necessarily terribly important from a player immersion standpoint, but from a background worldbuilding standpoint it can give you some guidance and might give you some interesting ideas along the way,.Would someone in universe make a map like this? It depends on the cultural norms and personal needs and interests of the cartographer NPC. Most human maps have historically focused on where human settlements were and often treated natural features only to the extent they were relevant to navigating between and identifying human settlements. Or if the map was focused on something else it would highlight that. This level of detail for the coastlines is plausible for a nautical map, but such a map would not generally care much about mountains (except where they were distinctive from the sea) and would would certainly mark all the ports if there are any. Someone might take an interest in that level of detail of mountains, but it is probably because they are mining them and so would rather have several, smaller, much more detailed maps clearly identifying where the good ore was or capable of accepting notes to that effect, and they would probably not care as much about this wide angle view of the region and all that empty sea space.Which is all to say this is probably not a directly practical map for anyone as is. It is still possible it was created out of an impractical motive or an indirectly practical one. A scholar with an intellectual interest in coastlines, rivers, and mountains might create it. Someone might create it as a gift to a monarch to show them their realm or a newly discovered place being claimed in their honor. Someone might create it out of a religious duty of some sort. Or maybe a wizard did it.</blockquote>

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